Rethinking the Booth: A Commentary on Implementing Boothless Audiometry for Hearing Conservation Programs.

Purpose: This commentary discusses the evolving role of boothless audiometry in hearing conservation programs. It addresses space and access limitations of traditional booth-based testing and explores how boothless solutions offer alternatives for maintaining and boosting service delivery. Method: W...

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Publicado en:American Journal of Audiology Vol. 35; no. 2; pp. 779 - 785
Autores principales: Davidson, Alyssa, Bugtong, Victoria, Kulinski, Devon, Sheffield, Benjamin, Klingseis, Kerri, Murphy, Michael, Brungart, Douglas
Formato: tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Jun2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2026
      vid: 35
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      pub: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
      place: Rockville, Maryland
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        194359748
        194359748
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        10.1044/2025_AJA-25-00184
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        atl: Rethinking the Booth: A Commentary on Implementing Boothless Audiometry for Hearing Conservation Programs.
      aug:
        au:
          Davidson, Alyssa
          Bugtong, Victoria
          Kulinski, Devon
          Sheffield, Benjamin
          Klingseis, Kerri
          Murphy, Michael
          Brungart, Douglas
        affil: National Military Audiology and Speech Pathology Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
      sug:
        subj:
          Program Implementation
          Audiometry Methods
          Hearing Disorders Prevention and Control
          Clinical Information Systems
          Health Care Delivery
          Patient Satisfaction
          Feedback
          Staff Development
          Automation
          Documentation
          Health Services Accessibility
          Technology
          Occupational Health Services
          Occupational Exposure
          Noise
          Audiologists
          Quality of Health Care
      ab: Purpose: This commentary discusses the evolving role of boothless audiometry in hearing conservation programs. It addresses space and access limitations of traditional booth-based testing and explores how boothless solutions offer alternatives for maintaining and boosting service delivery. Method: We present a conceptual discussion on the utility of boothless audiometry for hearing conservation monitoring, followed by a real-world implementation example from Department of Defense (DOD) hearing conservation clinics. Results: DOD hearing conservation programs completed over 40,000 boothless hearing tests between 2021 and May 2025, showing progressive year-over-year adoption. Patient satisfaction surveys from over 800 service members revealed positive ratings for boothless compared to traditional booth-based testing. Implementation feedback emphasized the importance of quiet testing environments and comprehensive staff training. Conclusions: Boothless audiometry represents a viable, and often underutilized, model for conducting audiometric monitoring for hearing conservation programs. Its portability, scalability, and adaptability make it particularly suited to outreach settings, resource-limited clinics, or as a contingency during facility disruptions. This commentary encourages audiologists to explore boothless approaches as complementary, not alternative, methods for increasing access to high-quality care.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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